


Fascination

by Teach



Category: Persona 4, Persona Series
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:06:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28326531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Teach/pseuds/Teach
Summary: Naoto tries to decipher the meaning of a gift
Relationships: Shirogane Naoto/Tatsumi Kanji
Comments: 1
Kudos: 30





	Fascination

_“It’s weird, ain’t it? Shit, knew I shoulda kept my mouth shut.”_

_“Kanji-kun, please, I-”_

_“Know what? Forget it. Don’t gotta mean nothin’. Just...just drop it.”_

The succinct conversation played over and over again in Naoto’s head. Christmas day has arrived very quickly in Inaba, much without her notice. She planned for as much of it as she did every year: exchange a phone call with her grandfather, make arrangements for a gift to Yakushiji-san, and then move on with her day. There wasn’t all too much to celebrate. Until, that is, a group of people came into her life a little over a year ago and changed everything.

Naoto looked back over the time spent with the Investigation Team with great fondness. She gives them much of the credit for her being the person that she is today: renewed and revitalized in her ability and interest as a detective, as well as just being a much more pleasant person to be around. Closing and keeping people out of her life was so natural before the incidents in the TV world. Now, although she still kept her social circle small, she couldn’t imagine a lifetime without any of her friends in it.  It became a bit more difficult after the team officially parted ways for everyone to make time for each other, but the times where they were able to meet were still held precious to her. 

Originally, she had no intentions on staying in Inaba—as a matter of fact, she didn’t initially. She went back to freelancing, but found herself craving the place that she felt that she could truly call home. So Naoto made the decision to finish her schooling with the rest of her friends that remained in the small town. She underestimated just how busy her friends would be, however. With the older members all being third-years, they had exams to study and cram for. Yosuke went as far as cutting the shifts that he was supposed to be taking and making Teddie cover them, causing even the mascot of the group to be short on time. And with Rise back to the world of show-business—which Naoto promised to herself that she would never approach again after the LMB debacle—that left the young detective prodigy with but one option.

As she rested herself on a bench along the snowy path of the riverbank,  Naoto didn’t even know where to begin with the description about the person that is Kanji Tatsumi. At first, she was caught-up in the same thinking as everyone else: he was nothing but a delinquent, brash and lacking in empathy to his fellow man. After some time spent together, and the time in the TV world as well, Naoto found someone a bit more complex than they let on. And the more complexity that she found in somebody, the more fascinated she was by them. 

_And he continues to further intrigue me._ She dug around in her pocket for the gift that Kanji had made for her for Christmas. According to him, he possessed a prowess in ‘makin’ cute shit,’ something that Naoto had little room for arguing about. To further prove this point, what was in her grasp was nothing less than adorable. A penguin fit with a little monocle, dressed in what seemed to be Naoto’s typical jacket and hat. She obsessively pored over  every little detail present in the doll, wondering just how much time Kanji had spent on the present.

_Why did he tell me to just ‘drop it?’_ Naoto placed her hand up on her chin, leaning back on the bench whilst maintaining eye contact with the doll. She wasn’t unfamiliar with his gifting habits; it wasn’t anything new by any means. It was a scarf here, a pair of socks there, maybe a tiny bit of mending on her clothes that got tore up (at his insistence that he did it for free). At first, she just thought that maybe it was nothing more than a sake of convenience. Kanji wanted to practice and perfect his craft, and handing them out as gifts was the easiest ways to get rid of them. But now here she was with another gift, alongside a failed explanation to back it all up. 

Naoto decided to review the facts of the evening.  _He approached me, calling out my name and jogging a short distance towards me. He looked red, out of breath, and tired if the bags under his eyes were anything to go by._ _Over his shoulder he had a satchel, and I remember him briefly saying something about going around and giving everyone their present. We exchanged good tidings for each other, but then he became very apparently quiet, as if psyching himself up._ Naoto shook her head.  _But after stuttering out an explanation that amounted to almost nothing, he very quickly dismissed the entire conversation. I tried to ask for an explanation, but he rudely—_ Naoto rubbed her eyes; the last thing she should be doing, she decided, was pinning any blame on Kanji for any of this.  _Kanji-kun cut me off, and swiftly exited the area._

_And now..._ Naoto looked over the doll again. _Here we are._ If she had one complaint about their relationship, Naoto would definitely point at the communication, or lack-there-of, as problematic. Neither were good at small talk, and for some indiscernible reason, he was especially difficult with conveying his true thoughts to her.  And as time has gone on, Naoto, despite her patience on the matter, found it growing to be much more difficult to deal with. 

The nearby crunching of snow took her out of her thoughts. She didn’t bother looking, deciding that it is more-than-likely nothing more than a passerby. The sound of the footsteps grew louder and louder still until they made an unexpected halt behind her. Naoto scowled that her privacy was being invaded by some random person, but still practiced patience.

“Y’know, wish I wasn’t such a wuss.”

The all-too familiar mumble caused her to turn around on the bench and look up at the tall man towering over her, but looking away at something on the ground. After standing up and letting out a sigh, as well as pocketing the gift she had received from him earlier, she nodded at him.

“Greetings once again, Kanji-kun.” Naoto circled around behind the bench, but Kanji didn’t turn his head to face her. She noticed that the bag over his shoulder was missing. “The rest of your gift-giving went well, I suppose?”

“Heh, yeah.” Kanji scratched at his neck and absentmindedly kicked at a bit of snow. “Looks like people are startin’ to come around to me.”

“You have made much progress in the past year, just as everyone else on the team has. Your old reputation has all but vanished from the minds of the townsfolk.”

“Kinda wish it was completely gone, but y’know, can’t have everything, right?” Kanji chanced a smile, but couldn’t hold the eye contact with Naoto. This irritated the detective.

“Kanji-kun, no more dancing around what is on your mind. Please, if you are willing, I would love to hear what is on your mind.”

A small, nervous groan left the tailor’s lips. After a few seconds, and a bit more pleading from Naoto, Kanji folded. “Alright, alright but...” he quickly trailed off.

“But?” Naoto crossed her arms.

Kanji looked up at the clear night sky, the cool air making his breath foggy. “’S just...I know it ain’t gonna go anywhere, right? Like, there’s so much more that I should be worryin’ about that it just feels...feels dumb that I’m even here right now. So why am I riskin’ it all? Just ridin’ on some chance that maybe, just maybe, things’ll go my way? Ain’t much for flippin’ coins on shit like fate, so why...” Kanji’s voice cracked.

Naoto dared not interrupt, out of fear that he may back out of this attempt yet.

“Look, Naoto, jus...it ain’t gotta mean nothin’, yeah? But fact of it all is that I can’t keep hidin’ it anymore. If ya don’t feel the same, then yeah, course ya don’t, who would, but let’s just move on from it. I’m afraid of losin’ ya more than anything else n’ I know I ain’t offerin’ much ‘sides myself here, but...but maybe I’m thinkin’ that’s all I need, right? It’s stupid that ‘m thinkin’ I even got a chance, but I gotta try, right? So...” Kanji trailed off and angrily shook his head. “Not comin’ out right, none of it is. Never would anyways.”

In her own mind, Naoto deliberated whether she should speak. Before she was even given the opportunity, Kanji was talking once more. “I like ya, Naoto, n’ I wanna take ya out on a date sometime. I do, n’ I get if you don’t. I really do, so don’t think ya gotta give me any pity. But I ain’t takin’ any of it backed anymore. I wussed out tonight once already n’ I ain’t doin’ it again! So I’m beggin’ ya Naoto, just tell me no already so I can move on from ya and-”

“I accept. When would you propose this date to be?”

Kanji, eyes now wide, simply looked at Naoto like she had gone nuts. “Huh?!”

“You say that you have these romantic feelings for me. I am unsure as to if I can say I have felt those same feelings or not.” Naoto admitted rather sheepishly. “However, dates are ways for relationships to begin anew and flourish, to my understanding. We should test the waters, at the bare minimum. I propose perhaps New Years Eve?”

Kanji, who was still absolutely stunned that any of this was happening, had his jaw agape before righting himself, gaining whatever composure he had. “Uh, um, yeah! Sure! That sounds friggin’ awesome!”

Naoto smiled up at the boy’s newfound spirit. “Wonderful. I shall text you and we can make plans then?”

“Uh, yeah! For sure!” Kanji furiously nodded his head, earning himself a small laugh from the detective. Not soon after, he received a phone call from his mother, saying for him to come back to the shop before it gets too late. “Shit, sorry, gotta go. Ma’s...”

“I completely understand, Kanji-kun. Have a-”

Her words were interrupted by Kanji, who in a moment of pure happiness, wrapped the detective up in a deep embrace. It lasted only all of five seconds, and the most that Naoto could respond was a small squeak, but she could feel him pour every ounce of happiness he had into that one hug.

The realization set in for Kanji as to what he just did, and he quickly let go of Naoto. “Ah, shit! Sorry Naoto, just-”

Naoto cleared her throat and readjusted her hat. “Do...do not worry, Kanji-kun. I understand. Now, you must be off before your mother calls again, hm?”

“Huh- oh shit! Yer right!” Without a second thought, Kanji darted away from Naoto, taking a few good paces before turning around mid-run and waving at her. “Uh, text ya later Naoto! Merry Christmas!”

Naoto simply waved back, a well-hidden smile on her face that accompanied a new red hue that she was able to stifle until Kanji’s leaving. With him out of sight, she thought over every one of his words carefully and set off back to her place.

_Fascinating._

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, look, I swear I'm working on Repairs but this idea just came to me and look, it took me like 2 hours to write. Gimme a break.
> 
> Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone.


End file.
